Thought I would start a Columbia thread for all of us who were eagerly waiting for that acceptance letter in the mail last week. Guess you can call this the meet-n-greet and maybe wear like a sticker with our screen names so we can recognize each other during the Visiting Day (ok, might look a bit goofy) but hey, what a way to start off our nursing careers together at Columbia.
I was estactic when i opened that letter, seemed like a thin envelope and was prepared for the worst, and then read the first line! I can't wait and indeed it was a life changing letter for both me and my wife, who also got accepted!! I also got into my first choice of specialty, Nurse Anesthesia, and getting into that program without ICU experience (besides being a nursing assistant in the ER and neurosurg unit as an undergrad) is just simply overwhelming. It took the whole weekend to sink in, and now, I'm psyched! I look forward to meeting all of you and enduring the next 12 months of craziness starting in June together.
Yep, I'm here, and I love the school. Med Surg is another story. We had our first test today. Blah. I must admit I'm not liking clinical yet. People tell me it gets better though. I sure hope so. And yes, I am midwifery! I love my colleagues!
I read in a different thread that the Acute Care NP at Columbia had gone down the drain since some administration got changed around.. I applied for the summer 07 ETP start and am hoping to get some input from current students...
So, I've been reading through this thread for a while and thought I'd jump in for some support from you guys! I was originally going to attend UCLA's MECN program last fall after completing the pre-reqs for a direct entry program (I have my Masters in a non-nursing field)After some soul searching and a random opportunity in med surg supply sales, I decided UCLA wasn't the right program for me and I took a year off to see if nursing is really where I want to be. Surprise, suprise, after a year, the desire to get back in the nursing game has not faded and I'm ramping up to apply to Columbia's ETP program for summer 2008.
Thing is, I really don't want to work in an acute care setting. I would love to be an FNP in a primary care setting, ultimately doing women's health with teens in a community health setting. Thing is, I'm not sure if there is a lot of opportunity in this type of setting. Do most NP's work in hospitals? Is it realistic to pursue what I want right out of the ETP program?
Also, I am HORRIFIED of the the $$ aspect of the ETP program. I'm still recovering from my first masters degree. Do ETP grads generally find good paying jobs right out of school?
I am so lost in this decision and would really appreciate any or all advice/insight!
So, I've been reading through this thread for a while and thought I'd jump in for some support from you guys! I was originally going to attend UCLA's MECN program last fall after completing the pre-reqs for a direct entry program (I have my Masters in a non-nursing field)After some soul searching and a random opportunity in med surg supply sales, I decided UCLA wasn't the right program for me and I took a year off to see if nursing is really where I want to be.
Amm,
I was also pursuing entrance into the UCLA MECN program for Fall 2007, however I didn't turn them down...they made the decision for me! In any case, I'm also turning to the Columbia ETP program and will be applying for the Acute Care NP specialty. Just wanted to chime in and let you know I'll be watching the forum for Columbia updates. To be honest, I have no idea if I'm competitive enough to be admitted, but what have I got to lose, really?
In regards to job opportunities upon graduation, I would say your best bet is to contact the Columbia SON office of admissions and inquire about it directly. I've heard schools tout their job placement rates (or the # of graduates who were offered jobs right out of the program) and are definitely not afraid to talk about it. I'm also sure there are several alums who may be able to chime in here about it.
Hello, I'm just about to start my second semester in the ETP program. New grads in NYC can expect to start at about 68k plus benefits, etc. However, it depends on which Masters program you're interested in because some of the program directors do not allow you to work at all. You can usually go through the program part time (midwifery is an exception to this) and work full time but you will lose your scholarship (about 10k).
Thanks so much for your prompt reply! Its funny timing too bc I just finished talking with an RN that pretty much told me to forget being able to get a job as an NP without previous nurse experience. I was thinking of the FNP route but still worry about having options available to me after graduation. What are your thoughts?
I think the FNP might be one of the specialties whose director encourages you to work full or part time while taking the program.
I don't really think you can FORGET about getting a job if you don't have RN experience but I do think it's a good idea and if you have two candidates applying for a job, one with and one without experience, I would bet every time that the job would go to the former.
I know that a lot of RN/NP programs allow their students to go straight through but I think that not getting some RN experience is doing a serious disservice to both yourself and your future patients. Who wants to start a masters in something that they have hardly gotten a grasp of? No nursing school prepares you to go out on your first day and know everything about nursing. This is where working in a hospital for a year or two helps ingrain what you learned in school and make the "rules" of nursing second nature.
I definitely plan to work before and during the specialty phase (I'll take at least a year off and maybe 2). The added benefit of working before continuing with the masters phase is that you can pay down your student loans a bit, which is a plus for me.
I know this thread is kinda old but I was hoping someone could give me some info about the CRNA program at Columbia. I know it's a very competitive program and have a few questions. I appreciate any help.
-about how many people do they take each year?
-average GRE score?
-average years ICU experience and does working in certain ICU's give applicant better chance (I've heard SICU and CTICU are preferred???)
-does it help if you take the physics and chem at Columbia or does it matter if you took them at community college?
hi there! i've also been accepted to columbia and i have a few questions that maybe you guys can answer before i call...
1) is it ABSOLUTELY necessary to go to this visiting day? i was JUST in NYC last week.
2) who knows ANYTHING about changing your specialty? my first choice was nurse-midwifery, but in the course of applying to nursing schools, i realized (somewhat belatedly) that my passion actually lies in women's health. help! this is the ONE thing holding me back from deciding!
Hi there happy - it's not necessary to go to visiting day at all. I know a bunch of people in my class this year who didn't go.
And, you don't really have to decide on your specialty until March. The only things you can't transfer into are midwifery and anesthesia. You can transfer out of whatever you want.
In any case, I'm also turning to the Columbia ETP program and will be applying for the Acute Care NP specialty. Just wanted to chime in and let you know I'll be watching the forum for Columbia updates. To be honest, I have no idea if I'm competitive enough to be admitted, but what have I got to lose, really?
lovingpecola
283 Posts
Yep, I'm here, and I love the school. Med Surg is another story. We had our first test today. Blah. I must admit I'm not liking clinical yet. People tell me it gets better though. I sure hope so. And yes, I am midwifery! I love my colleagues!